8 day trip to Morocco: 8 Day Trip to Morocco with the Family
8 days · Family, short drives

8 Day Trip to Morocco with the Family

Built for parents and children: balloon, mules, camels, quads and the beach, with short drives between each stop and plenty of time to rest.

See the day-by-day route
8 days / 7 nightsStarts in MarrakechEnds in MarrakechPrivate tour
Marrakech→Imlil→Lalla Takerkoust→Agafay→Essaouira→Marrakech

About this 8 day trip to Morocco

This 8 day trip to Morocco is made for families, with one adventure a day. No drive is longer than about three hours.

First, you explore the Majorelle Garden and the storytellers of Jemaa el-Fna. Then you fly in a hot air balloon at sunrise. After that, you walk to a Berber village in the Atlas with a mule for the children. Next, you ride camels and quads in Agafay and sleep in a desert camp. In Essaouira, the older children can try a surf lesson. Finally, a family cooking class ends the trip in Marrakech. In short, our 8 day trip to Morocco is private and planned around your children’s ages.

Highlights of this 8 day trip to Morocco

  • Hot air balloon at sunrise
  • Mule walk in an Atlas village
  • Lalla Takerkoust lake
  • Camels & quads in Agafay
  • Night in a desert camp
  • Surf lesson & beach ride
  • Family cooking class

8 day trip to Morocco: day by day

  1. 1day
    Day 1

    Marrakech for families

    The Majorelle Garden, the souks and the storytellers and acrobats of Jemaa el-Fna.

    Stay: Riad in Marrakech
  2. 2day
    Day 2

    Hot air balloon

    Fly over the palm grove at sunrise, breakfast with a Berber family, then a quiet afternoon at the riad pool.

    On the road: about 30 min each wayStay: Riad in Marrakech
  3. 3day
    Day 3

    Mules & villages in the Atlas

    Drive to Imlil and walk to a Berber village, with a mule for tired little legs.

    On the road: about 1.5 hStay: Guesthouse in Imlil
  4. 4day
    Day 4

    Lake & Agafay desert

    Down to the lake of Lalla Takerkoust, then camels and quads in the Agafay desert and a night in a camp.

    On the road: about 1.5 h with stopsStay: Desert camp in Agafay
  5. 5day
    Day 5

    To Essaouira

    Drive to the coast with a stop at an argan cooperative, then the beach and the ramparts.

    On the road: about 3 h with the argan stopStay: Riad in Essaouira
  6. 6day
    Day 6

    Beach day & camel ride

    A beginners’ surf lesson for the older children, and a camel or horse ride along the sand.

    Stay: Riad in Essaouira
  7. 7day
    Day 7

    Back to Marrakech

    The port and its blue boats in the morning, then a family cooking class back in Marrakech.

    On the road: about 2.5–3 hStay: Riad in Marrakech
  8. 8day
    Day 8

    Departure

    A last swim or a walk in the Menara gardens before your transfer to the airport.

What’s included in this 8 day trip to Morocco

Included

  • 7 nights of accommodation as listed (riads, guesthouses and a desert camp)
  • Breakfast every morning
  • Dinner and breakfast at the desert camp
  • Private transport in an air-conditioned vehicle with driver
  • Pick-up in Marrakech and drop-off in Marrakech (hotel, riad, airport)
  • Camel ride as described in the programme
  • Mountain guide and mule for the luggage
  • Surf lessons with board and wetsuit

Not included

  • International flights
  • Lunches and drinks
  • Entrance fees to monuments and museums
  • Optional activities (for example quad, buggy or balloon) unless listed
  • Travel insurance
  • Tips for drivers and guides

Draft based on this programme – our team confirms the exact list with your quote.

Where you stay

  1. Night 1Riad in Marrakech
  2. Night 2Riad in Marrakech
  3. Night 3Guesthouse in Imlil
  4. Night 4Desert camp in Agafay
  5. Night 5Riad in Essaouira
  6. Night 6Riad in Essaouira
  7. Night 7Riad in Marrakech

Comfort level: Standard + – comfortable riads, guesthouses and a traditional desert camp, chosen by our team. Luxury camps and riads are possible on request.

Best time for this trip

Spring, autumn and the winter holidays are the most comfortable for children. In July and August Marrakech is very hot, so we plan the activities early in the morning.

  • JanGood
  • FebGood
  • MarBest
  • AprBest
  • MayGood
  • JunPossible
  • JulPossible
  • AugPossible
  • SepGood
  • OctBest
  • NovBest
  • DecGood

What to bring for this trip

  • Warm layers for the balloon at sunrise
  • Sun hats and children’s sun cream
  • Comfortable shoes for the village walk
  • Swimsuits for the riad pool and the beach
  • Warm pyjamas for the desert camp
  • Torch for each child at the camp
  • Scarf for dust on the quad ride
  • Small snacks for the drives
  • Refillable water bottles

Booking & payment

How to book
Send your request; we confirm the programme and the price in writing on WhatsApp or by email.
Payment
A deposit secures your booking and the balance is paid on arrival.
Cancellation
Our cancellation conditions are sent with your quote, before you pay anything.
Weather & changes
If the weather stops an activity, we adapt the day or replace the activity.

8 Day Trip to Morocco with the Family: your questions

Is this 8 day trip to Morocco good for young children?

Yes. No drive is longer than about three hours, every day has one main activity, and there is time to rest at the riad pool.

Can young children fly in the balloon?

Balloon operators set a minimum age. Send us your children’s ages and we confirm it or plan another morning activity.

What do we sleep in on the 8 day trip to Morocco?

Riads in Marrakech and Essaouira, a guesthouse in an Atlas village and a desert camp in Agafay. We can ask for family rooms and tents.

When is the best time for an 8 day trip to Morocco with kids?

Spring, autumn and the winter holidays. In July and August Marrakech is very hot, so we plan the activities early in the day.

Are quads safe for children?

Children ride with a parent or on a smaller quad, depending on age, with a helmet and our guide. You can also choose a camel ride instead.

Local team in MoroccoYour trip is planned and run by our own team on the ground.
Private, on your datesOnly you and your travel companions, starting when you want.
Every day can changeAdd a night, an activity or a slower pace – the plan adapts to you.
Answers on WhatsAppAsk us anything before you book: +212 600 643 098.

What our travellers say

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A holistic experience

Booking a trip with Moroccan active adventures gave us the most memorable new years celebration of our lived. Our guide Mouhssin was especially talented at turning down deserted mountain/desert roads and finding beautiful riads…
A
Quick request

Request this 8-day trip

Fill in the form and press send: your request comes straight to our team’s inbox (or WhatsApp, if you prefer) and we reply with the full programme and a clear price.

  • No payment to send a request
  • Private tour on your dates
  • Or write to us: +212 600 643 098
Quad & buggy rides
Land adventure

Quad & buggy rides

On this trip: Day 4 – Lake & Agafay desert

Quad biking Marrakech style means leaving the city noise behind in minutes: dusty palm grove tracks, Berber villages and the rocky hills of the Agafay desert, with the Atlas Mountains on the horizon. Our guides ride in front, set the pace to the slowest rider and stop for photos and mint tea. You do not need any experience – we show you the controls and do a short practice loop before we leave.

Where
Marrakech palm grove (Palmeraie), Agafay desert, Merzouga dunes
Duration
1 hour to 6 days
Level
Beginner friendly, no experience needed
Minimum age
Drivers usually 16+; younger children ride as buggy passengers
  • Desert right next to the city
  • Quad or buggy, your choice
  • Real landscapes, not a track
Camel & horseback treks
Land adventure

Camel & horseback treks

On this trip: Day 4 – Lake & Agafay desert

Camel trekking Morocco’s Sahara is the slow, quiet way into the desert: a line of camels led by a guide on foot, swaying over the orange dunes of Erg Chebbi near Merzouga as the light turns soft. Most of our guests ride at sunset to a camp in the dunes and come back at sunrise. It is calm, not sporty – anyone who can sit on a saddle for an hour can do it.

Where
Merzouga (Erg Chebbi), Agafay desert, Marrakech palm grove
Duration
1 hour to 6 days
Level
Easy, no experience needed for camels
Minimum age
Children ride with an adult; ask us for small kids
  • The classic Sahara moment
  • Local camel men
  • Slow travel
Desert camping & stargazing
Land adventure

Desert camping & stargazing

Sahara desert camping in Morocco is about one evening you will not forget: arriving at a camp hidden between the dunes of Erg Chebbi, climbing a ridge for sunset, eating tagine by the fire while drums play, then lying on a rug under more stars than you thought possible. Our camps near Merzouga range from simple nomad-style tents to comfortable tents with real beds and private bathrooms.

Where
Merzouga (Erg Chebbi dunes), Agafay desert near Marrakech
Duration
1 to 3 nights
Level
Easy, for all ages
Camp types
Nomad-style, standard and luxury tents
  • Real dunes
  • A sky full of stars
  • Choose your comfort
Hot air balloon ride
Air adventure

Hot air balloon ride

On this trip: Day 2 – Hot air balloon

A hot air balloon Marrakech flight is the quietest way to see Morocco wake up. You leave the city in the dark, watch the burners light up the envelope, and lift off just as the sun climbs over the Atlas Mountains. Below you, red-earth villages, olive groves and dry riverbeds turn gold, and on clear winter mornings the snow on the High Atlas shines on the horizon.

Where
Countryside outside Marrakech (launch site set by the pilot each morning)
Duration
About 1 hour in the air, 4-5 hours door to door
Start time
Very early pick-up, before sunrise
Level
No experience needed
  • Sunrise over the Atlas
  • Silent, slow flying
  • Rural Morocco from above
Hiking & trekking adventures
Land adventure

Hiking & trekking adventures

On this trip: Day 3 – Mules & villages in the Atlas

Hiking Morocco’s High Atlas is a walk through a lived-in landscape: terraced fields, walnut trees, flat-roofed Berber villages built from the same red earth as the mountains, and mule paths that people still use every day. Our local mountain guides grew up around these valleys. They choose the route, set a steady pace and arrange lunch or a night in a village house.

Where
High Atlas (Imlil, Ourika, Toubkal), Dades & Todra gorges, Merzouga dunes
Duration
Day hikes to 5-day treks
Level
Easy valley walks to challenging summit treks
Minimum age
Valley walks for families; Toubkal for fit teens and adults
  • Real mountains near Marrakech
  • Toubkal, the big one
  • Village life on the trail
Surf & kitesurf experience
Water adventure

Surf & kitesurf experience

On this trip: Day 6 – Beach day & camel ride

Surfing Morocco means long right-hand point breaks, sandy beach breaks for learning and warm sun when Europe is cold. The coast north of Agadir – Taghazout, Tamraght and the fishing village of Imsouane – is the heart of it, with Essaouira and its windy beaches further north. We organise lessons and surf guiding with licensed local surf schools and instructors, from your first wave to your first point break.

Where
Taghazout, Tamraght, Imsouane, Essaouira
Duration
Half-day lesson to a week-long surf camp
Level
Complete beginners to experienced surfers
Minimum age
Children who swim well, in lessons suited to them
  • World-class point breaks
  • A great place to learn
  • Surf in winter sun
Cycling & mountain biking
Land adventure

Cycling & mountain biking

Optional extra: Mountain biking on Atlas trails

Mountain biking Morocco’s High Atlas means riding mule paths between Berber villages, rolling down terraced valleys and stopping for tea where the trail meets a walnut grove. Our guides know the tracks around Marrakech, the Ourika and Imlil valleys and the Agafay hills, and pick routes that fit your level – from easy dirt roads to longer climbs and technical descents.

Where
Agafay desert, Ourika and Imlil valleys (High Atlas), Dades and Todra gorges
Duration
Half day to multi-day tours
Level
Easy to challenging – routes chosen for you
Bikes
Mountain bikes and e-bikes, helmet included
  • Mountains near the city
  • Village trails, not empty parks
  • Huge variety
Kite surfing lift-off
Air adventure

Kite surfing lift-off

Optional extra: Kitesurf lesson in windy Essaouira

Kitesurfing Morocco means steady Atlantic wind, long beaches and two very different playgrounds. In the far south, the Dakhla lagoon offers wide, flat, shallow water that is ideal for learning and for freestyle. Further north, Essaouira is known for its strong trade winds in spring and summer, with choppy water in the bay and powerful waves on nearby beaches for experienced riders.

Where
Dakhla lagoon, Essaouira and other Atlantic spots
Duration
Single lessons to a full kite week
Level
Beginner courses to independent riders
Minimum age
Set by the school – children need enough weight to control a kite
  • Reliable wind
  • Flat water for learning
  • Waves for advanced riders
Windsurfing adventure
Water adventure

Windsurfing adventure

Optional extra: Windsurfing session

Windsurfing Morocco starts with one word: wind. Essaouira is nicknamed the Wind City of Africa, because the trade winds blow along this coast for much of the year, strongest in spring and summer. The wide bay is a good classroom, Moulay Bouzerktoun to the north is a famous wave spot, and far to the south the Dakhla lagoon offers flat water on the edge of the Sahara. We organise lessons and rentals with licensed local windsurf centres and instructors.

Where
Essaouira bay, Moulay Bouzerktoun, Sidi Kaouki, Dakhla lagoon
Duration
2-hour lesson to a week-long windsurf camp
Level
Beginners (lessons) to advanced wave sailors
Minimum age
Children who swim well, with kids’ rigs where available
  • Reliable wind
  • Spots for every level
  • Wave sailing at Moulay
Authentic culinary experiences
Moroccan experience

Authentic culinary experiences

Optional extra: Cooking class or food walk in the medina

A Morocco food tour is the quickest way into the country’s heart. With one of our local guides you taste fresh msemen pancakes at breakfast, follow the smell of cumin through the spice souk, try harira and grilled meat at the stalls of Jemaa el-Fna, and learn why a tagine needs time. We take you where locals actually eat, not where the menus are in five languages.

Where
Marrakech, Fes, Essaouira, Atlas villages, Merzouga
Duration
3-hour food walk to full-day class
Level
Easy – come hungry
Diets
Vegetarian options on request
  • Street food you would not find alone
  • Markets as a lesson
  • Cooking with real cooks
Wellness and relaxation
Moroccan experience

Wellness and relaxation

Optional extra: Traditional hammam and spa time

A Morocco wellness retreat with us is built around your rhythm, not a fixed timetable. Start with a traditional hammam in Marrakech, rest in a riad courtyard with only the fountain for company, stretch on a yoga mat facing the Atlantic, and end with a night in the Merzouga desert where the silence is almost total. We plan the logistics so you can simply let go.

Where
Marrakech, Agafay, Atlas valleys, Essaouira, Taghazout, Merzouga
Duration
Half-day hammam to 7+ day retreat
Level
Easy – all fitness levels
Group
Solo, couples, friends or private groups
  • The hammam ritual
  • Riads made for rest
  • Yoga with a view
Atlas zipline adventure
Air adventure

Atlas zipline adventure

Optional extra: Zipline in the Atlas foothills

A zipline Marrakech day takes you out of the hot, busy city and into the cool air of the Atlas foothills, where adventure parks stretch long cables across valleys and over trees. You clip in, step off the platform and fly above the red earth, olive terraces and small Berber villages, with the High Atlas peaks behind you. It is one of the easiest ways to feel the mountains without a long trek.

Where
Adventure parks in the Atlas foothills, about an hour from Marrakech
Duration
Half day or full day with transfers
Level
Beginner friendly – no climbing skills needed
Minimum age
Set by each park, often with a minimum height for children
  • Escape the city heat
  • Atlas views from the air
  • More than one ride
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